Trinity Bay Manatee Long Way from Florida!

Manatee News 11 25 2014

Yikes! One of my Florida manatee buddies was just spotted in Trinity Bay. Now here’s where this gets interesting – Trinity Bay is in Texas! You see, he normally spends his winters in Tampa Bay, Florida. Ms. Edith Erfling, project leader for Texas Wildlife and Ecological Services said, “This is the second manatee we’ve had to rescue, but that’s in over 20 years that I’ve been in this office and its going to be a challenge because each animal is an individual and we’re not going to know how it’s going to react and how it’s going to handle stuff, so it’s pretty amazing.”

The manatee was identified from its scars and their patterns on his back. He is 10 feet long and weighs around 1,200 pounds.

The good folks at the Chambers County Sheriff’s Office, Sea World San Antonio, The Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are all helping rescue the manatee. Ms. Heidi Whitehead, with TMMSN explained that there have been increased sightings of manatees along the Texas coast.

If you see any sick or injured manatees, please call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at: 1-888-404-3922. They are the folks who are responsible for rescuing us in Florida.

Here is a cool link for you to learn more about how we’re rescued and brought into rehabilitation …

www.wildtracks.org

~ Kobee Manatee